This invention relates generally to Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking software which allows the user of the software to display text data on the computer system. More particularly, the present invention relates to bi-directionally and dynamically linking and integrating the text data, graphical display, and interactive communication functions of the tracking software.
Tracking and knowing the position of a vehicle can be very useful to a company. By knowing the location of every vehicle in a fleet, a company can utilize the vehicles in a more efficient and effective manner. For instance, if a company knows a delivery vehicle""s position, the company can estimate delivery times more accurately, determine the best routes, inform the driver of traffic conditions, and the like. For taxi services, the service can dispatch the closest, available vehicle to pick up a fare. For courier services, services can increase their efficiency by reducing the number of times a courier has to make repetitive trips to an area where the courier has already frequented.
To track a vehicle, the positions of the vehicle over a period of time needs to be known. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a popular means to determine the position of a vehicle having a GPS receiver. GPS can determine the position of a vehicle which is on land, at sea, or in the air. The GPS information is typically communicated to positional software embedded in a GPS receiver. When connected to tracking software, the system processes the GPS information, obtains a background map from a geographical information system (GIS), and displays the position of the vehicle on the selected background map. By providing the GPS information of more than one vehicle, the computer system can track a plurality of vehicles, such as a fleet of vehicles.
Integrating interactive communications between the vehicle and the base station can also be useful to a company. With interactive communications, a driver could be given alternate routes or a corrected destination. Interactive communications could also avoid safety and security concerns. For instance, where keys were locked in the vehicle a remote user could unlock the door if interactive communications were provided. Additionally, where a vehicle""s brakes malfunction or the car is stolen, were interactive communications available, a remote user could kill the ignition. If interactive communications were available, vehicles could be sent on new jobs without having to return to a base. If interactive communications were available, drivers could conduct transactions from within the vehicle.
Although prior inventions have used tracking software on computer systems to track and display the positions of a plurality of vehicles, the prior inventions have not taken full advantage of other capabilities for data integration that exists in computer systems. The prior GPS inventions, in general, only provide a limited amount of information to the user of the system. Prior inventions fail to provide text data that includes information such as fleet schedule, vehicle information, driver information, permits, and the like. Prior inventions fail to use GPS information integrated with interactive communication to change vehicle operations. By bi-directionally linking and integrating the text data and the graphical display of the tracking software, the user of the software is able to go back and forth between the text data and graphical display. For instance, if the user is tracking a specific vehicle by viewing a graphic representation of the vehicle on a map, the user can obtain the text data relating to that vehicle by simply xe2x80x9cclickingxe2x80x9d on that graphic representation. In addition, by incorporating this additional information into an integrated GPS based vehicle tracking system, the information can be processed to provide operating costs and driver evaluations to the user, assist in the recovery of stolen vehicles, to name but a few applications.
Therefore there is a need for tracking software which bi-directionally links and integrates a wide variety of text data, graphical display, and interactive communication functions of tracking software.
It is an object of the present invention to allow a user to monitor at least one vehicle.
A further object of the present invention is to allow a user to monitor the position of a fleet of vehicles.
A further object of the present invention is to allow a user to monitor and/or reconstruct the speed of vehicles in a fleet.
A further object of the present invention is to cascade monitor displays for simultaneous viewing of a fleet and specific vehicle operations.
A further object of the present invention is to cascade system displays and business reports for simultaneous display.
A further object of the present invention is to alert a user to abnormalities in fleet operations.
A further object of the present invention is to alert a user to problems with use of a vehicle.
A further object of the present invention is to provide independent verification of a delivery site.
A further object of the present invention is to remotely control vehicle functions by a user.
Yet another object of the present invention is to locate the closest vehicle within a fleet to a response site.
A further object of the present invention is to integrate monitored parameters with business report formats.
A further object of the present invention is to improve customer response times for delivery of goods by a fleet of vehicles.
A further object of the present invention is to provide automatic signal switching to prevent data drop-outs between a user and a vehicle.
A further object of the present invention is to provide indications of data drop-outs in transmissions between a user and a vehicle.
A further object of the present invention is to integrate peripheral operations between a vehicle and a user.
A further object of the present invention is to lower the costs of operating a vehicle or a fleet of vehicles.
A further object of the present invention is to lower the costs of insurance for a vehicle or a fleet of vehicles.
A further object of the present invention is to allow a user to evaluate a driver""s performance.
A further object of the present invention is to protect a vehicle from being stolen.
A further object of the present invention is the ability to warn a driver about the weather, road conditions, and the like.
A further object of the present invention is the ability to allow a driver to report an emergency.
The present invention comprises a specific suite of hardware that integrates text data and GPS position information and tracking software to permit a user to better manage and report on a fleet of vehicles. The present invention bi-directionally and dynamically links and integrates the text, data, and the information on vehicles in a fleet. A user is not only able to track and display the position of at least one vehicle, but also to store text data in a database and to provide text data containing additional information about the vehicle or vehicles being tracked to the user. The additional information includes text data about the vehicles, drivers, schedules, permits, and the like. The additional information can be processed to provide operating costs and driver evaluations to the user, assist in the recovery of stolen vehicles, and the like. Further, the present invention allows a user to manage fleet operations, including providing route, delivery and weather information to drivers. The present invention further provides remote control of vehicle functions for maintaining fleet safety and security.